I’m a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, United States. I study neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease, and their early, specific and rapid diagnosis.
I have been working in the neuroscience research field for over five years. During my MSc thesis at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, Italy, I started researching the neurodegenerative disease field. Then, I completed a three-year PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience in the same organisation. I carried out research activities through electrophysiological techniques (e.g., polysomnography) on sleep disorders related to neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., REM behavioural sleep disorder, RBD) and by molecular neuroimaging techniques (Positron Emission Tomography, PET) on diverse neurodegenerative diseases.
My PhD project explored the predictive value of neuroimaging, neurophysiological sleep parameters and neurocognitive features in the development of dementia in Parkinson’s disease, starting from the earliest preclinical stages, like isolated RBD, also providing crucial insight into the dynamic of neurobiological changes that occur over time. In December 2021, I defended my thesis and received my PhD cum laude (with honours).
My education
2015: BSc in Psychology – University of Florence, Florence, Italy
2017: MSc in Psychology, cognitive neuroscience curriculum – Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy (awarded cum laude)
2021: Member of the Italian Psychologists Association
2021: PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience – Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy (awarded cum laude)
My path in a nutshell
2017 – 2018: Trainee at the Sleep Disorders Center, Vita-Salute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
2018 – 2021: PhD student in Cognitive Neuroscience, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
2021 – 2023: Post-doctoral Fellow, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Department, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
2023 – ongoing: Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America